| Goblin | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Other Names |
gobblin, gobeline, gobling, goblyn, goblino, and gobbelin |
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First Appearance |
European Folklore |
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Created by |
European Folklore |
Origin[]
A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on the story and country of origin, ranging from mischievous household spirits to malicious, bestial thieves. They often have magical abilities similar to a fairy or demon, such as the ability to shapeshift.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Goblins published before January 1, 1929 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- "The Goblin Pony", from The Grey Fairy Book
- "The Benevolent Goblin", from Gesta Romanorum
- "The Goblins Turned to Stone" (Dutch fairy tale)
- "The Goblins Turned to Stone" (Dutch fairy tale)
- King Gobb (Moldovan Gypsy folktale)
- "The Goblin of Adachigahara" (Japanese fairy tale)
- The Boy Who Drew Cats (Japanese fairy tale)
- Twenty-Two Goblins (Indian fairy tale)
- The Korean nursery song 'Mountain Goblin(산도깨비)' tells of meeting a dokkaebi and running away to live.
- Goblins are featured in the Danish fairy tales The Elf Mound, The Goblin and the Grocer, and The Goblin and the Woman.
- Goblins are featured in the Norwegian folktale The Christmas Visitors at Kvame.
- Goblins are featured in the Swedish fairy tales The Four Big Trolls and little Peter Pastureman and Dag, and Daga and the Flying Troll of Sky Mountain where they live among trolls alongside sprites and gnomes.
- Goblins are featured in the French fairy tale called The Golden Branch.
- The Steadfast Tin Soldier (1838)
- The Goblin Market (1862)
- The Princess and the Goblin (1872)
- Chinese Ghouls and Goblins (England 1928)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Whiz Comics #58
- Thing #13
- Mysteries of the Weird and Strange #7
- Baffling Mysteries #15
- Forbidden Worlds #20, 35
- Humdinger v1 #3
- Pete Wheat News #6, 39
- Clue Comics #7
- Tiny Tot Comics #1
- Pep Comics #33
- Zip Comics #41
- All Humor Comics #6
- Tip Top Comics #111
- Tales from the Tomb (One-Shot)
- Adventures of Peat Wheat #25
- Buster Bunny #11
- The Spirit (1944-05-28) - Chicago Sun, (1941-10-26) - Baltimore Sun
- Four Color Comics #114, 436
- Roly-Poly Comics #10
- Merry-Go-Round Comics #1
- Peter Rabbit #15, 27
- Famous Funnies #63
Notes[]
- Similar creatures include brownies, dwarves, duendes, gnomes, imps, leprechauns, and kobolds, but it is also commonly used as a blanket term for all small, fay creatures. The term is sometimes expanded to include goblin-like creatures of other cultures, such as the pukwudgie, dokkaebi, or ifrit.